CorCom salutes Haipou Jadonang

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 27: The CorCom has paid rich tributes to Haipou Jadonang on his death anniversary (August 29).
A statement issued by CorCom publicity committee noted that indigenous communities of Manipur (Kangleipak) have been living together since ages while upholding their own distinctive identities, cultures and traditions.
Nonetheless, there were certain phases in history when the identity and ethos of the indigenous people were threatened by external forces. The people of the land stood firmly against all those challenges and one outstanding leader of such resistance movement was Haipou Jadonang (1905-1931).
After the British empire took control of Manipur, the colonial rulers not only imposed their political system but also their religious beliefs and culture.
The British colonial rulers attempt to impose their beliefs and way of life upon the indigenous people was resisted with different movements, with Haipou Jadonang leading one such movement.
Jadonang challenged the oppressive measures unleashed by the colonial rulers upon the hill people such as forced labour, house tax etc, the CorCom said.
He also led a strong mass movement to protect Zeliangrong  identity, culture and religious beliefs from western influence. The same movement eventually evolved into a political movement aimed at driving out the colonial rulers from Manipur.
Perturbed by all his activities, the colonial rulers mounted a strict vigil against Jadonang and he was ultimately hung to death on August 29, 1931 on the charge of killing four people.
The common history and  mutual respect for each other's identity and culture have been the foundation of peaceful co-existence among all the indigenous communities of the land, the CorCom asserted.
It is a firm belief of the CorCom that larger communities should never try to annihilate or assimilate smaller communities rather each and every community should respect each other, it added.